Shade Hunters
by Sovereign Beta
Summary: Templars. Succubae. Shades. Witches. Lycans. Hunters. Revenants. Roxas, Sora, and Xion Curtiss and their friends never knew how close the supernatural was to our world, but as the newest Shade Hunters, they've got a lot to learn about the paranormal.
1. Introduction

I added a prologue because it's a nice integrated teaser, no? ^^

Also, it's a good way to exposition the lore of this AU.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY.

Just this story. Enjoy!

**Xxx XXX xxX**

**Introduction**

Hi. My name is Roxas Curtiss and I'm a journeyman Shade Hunter, a human equipped with ghost powers assigned to destroy Shades.

Among my friends, family, and allies: Xion (my older sister) and Sora (my fraternal twin brother), my siblings and fellow Hunters; Riku Jenova, the Scion of the Lycans (and resident bloodhound/jackass jock); Naminé Fleuret, the most powerful Memory Witch in the last hundred years (and the love of my life); Axel Lea, a redeemed Shade (and resident mentor/rival); Kairi Leonhart, a human acolyte (and my brother's crush for damn near ten years); and last but not least, Zoe Caelum, a journeyman Knight Templar (and resident ditz/combat instructor).

A diverse group? Certainly. Is it dysfunctional? Totally. We've suffered more drama and heartbreak and whatnot than most soap operas deem necessary.

But hey—it's all a drop in the ocean when compared to the Shades.

That's right, the Shades. They're the ghosts of deceased people who refuse to travel to the legendary World Beyond for some reason or another, and it's me and my friends' job to convince them to go using _aggressive negotiations_, to take a quote from the Jedi. Quite a few of us have gotten badly injured, sometimes near the point of death, in combat against them and we've given everything to destroy them, so much so that some of us have lost who we were originally. But all of us have changed; we're not the innocent youngsters we were at the beginning. Now we know what kind of hardships we'll have to go through in life. Now we know what essentially committing repeated homicide is.

Yeah, I know that this all sounds like a bunch of absolute horseshit. It did to me, at first—it did to everybody.

But now we know that the paranormal's a lot closer than we ever could've believed. Whether it's the guy at the Gamestop counter who's secretly a Revenant, a vampire; or those hot chicks who turn out to be deadly Succubae, seductive assassins; or hell, one of your best friends who turns out to be a freaking werewolf and he doesn't even know; you'll never know who's a part of the supernatural next.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Yes, I'm basing much of Shade Hunters off of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_.

…

What? It's a good show.

Main Pairings (in order of appearance):

Riku/Kairi

Roxas/Naminé

Axel/Xion

Sora/Kairi

Riku/OC


	2. Are We Normal?

Alright guys, it's finally here. **Shade Hunters**—by yours truly.

Warning: Xion haters beware—she's very much likeable in this one. You have been warned.

Yeah, I rewrote the first chapter, because quite frankly, it sucked.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY.

Just this story. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 001: Are We Normal?**

**Date: October 5, 2016**

**[Roxas]**

"We're home!" I called.

"Okay!" Xion called back from somewhere upstairs.

Sora and I closed the door and took off our sneakers, tossing them onto a small shelf in the foyer.

"Race you up the stairs," he said, grinning.

"You're on."

Our parents would've yelled at us if we had sprinted up the stairs, when they were still alive, but our older sister was a heck of a lot more lenient. Mom and Dad died in an airplane crash on December 21, 2012, the day the Apocalypse would've occurred. Yeah, I know it's tragic and all, but I've mostly forgotten the pain. I've always been…less emotional, but I don't know why.

"Three…two…one…go!"

I leaped up the first three stairs, Sora right next to me, braced my foot against the adjacent wall and I saw a flash of blue light—

Wait a minute.

I thought I'd been at the base of the second part of the staircase, not at the top. I turned around and saw that yes, I'd somehow gotten from down _there_ all the way to up _here_.

"How the hell did you do that?" Sora demanded, setting his hands on his hips.

"How the hell should I know?" I replied, checking to see if all of me was still attached to me. Yep, Roxas Curtiss was A-okay and, more importantly, in one piece. "I just saw…something…and then the next second I'm staring down at you."

"What're you two yelling about?" Xion said, walking out of the master bedroom. I got her room and she got our parents' room when she dropped out of college to take care of us.

"Roxas teleported up the stairs!" Sora said excitedly.

Teleported? Oh, for shit's sake…

"I didn't teleport," I sighed. "I just…maybe it was some freak rip in the space-time continuum and I got hurled through the wormhole."

Something flickered across Xion's face—I could've sworn it was surprise, but who could blame her if it was.

"Oh really?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

Both of us stared at her. Why would she say, "Are you sure?" Why not, "What the hell?" or "Are you high, Sora?" or something along those lines?

"I'm pretty sure that I can't teleport," I commented. "I don't even think that's possible."

"How do you know?"

"How do you know someone didn't slip LSD into your lunch?"

Xion slugged me on the shoulder, hard. Strangely enough, it didn't hurt, and I literally didn't even feel the _pressure_ of the punch connecting, but still.

"Hey!" I protested, glaring at her. "What was that for?"

"For being an asshole to Sora, that's what."

Oh right, I forgot to mention that Xion _really_ hates bullies. She used to get picked on for being overweight when she was younger, and although she looks like a carbon copy of Mom now, minus the blue hair. Xion's twenty-two, by the way.

"I was just making a frank observation based on the information I had available," I replied patiently. "Okay, so maybe I need to work on tact. But still."

"You teleported," Sora said flatly, apparently not offended. Then again, my brother's a very easygoing guy. "And before you tell me that that's impossible, give me a reason that doesn't involve a portal through space-time—which, by the way, is teleportation."

"I didn't teleport," I said just as flatly. "And how should I know what just happened? Do I have a degree in theoretical physics? No, I don't."

Actually, my dream job would be at CERN, so in ten years I wouldn't be able to use that argument. In ten years.

"Guys, stop arguing," Xion snapped. "Can't we just treat this like a freak incident?"

Yeah, leave it to Big Sister to ruin an epic battle of wits between brothers.

"Fine…"

* * *

I saved the essay file on my laptop before exiting Word. Laptops were standard issue for students these days, as ubiquitous as notebooks and binders were when Xion was in high school and about as expensive. Ah, the wonders of technology and cheap synthetic materials. Of course, all the cool kids had those paper-thin, pocket-sized PCs that could be rolled up in your pocket, but we can't afford them and we don't need them anyways.

I got up, stretched to work out the kinks in my back (if you don't get cramps from sitting in a chair for two hours, you hereby have my envy), and picked up my green-and-black Skull Candy earphones. After doing my homework, I usually either read or listened to songs from my SDAT tape player, the one my dad gave me for my twelfth birthday—the last one we celebrated together before he died in the crash.

I popped a tape into the SDAT's holding slot. A whir, and then "Diary of Jane", by Breaking Benjamin, started up. It's an emo song, I know, but Sora's rap and pop and Xion's classical and country just don't do it for me. Hard rock and metal are the only music I listen to.

"_If I had to, I would put myself right beside you…"_

"_So let me ask, would you like that? Would you like that?"_

"_And I don't mind if you say this love is the last time."_

"_So now I'll ask—do you like—"_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

At first I thought something was wrong with the SDAT player. Ben Burnley's scream had come early and sounded impossibly like Sora—

No, it _was_ Sora.

Fear spiked through me.

"Shit—SORA!"

I ran out of my room, almost colliding with Xion, and jumped all the way down the stairs. I heard Xion screaming at me to be careful, asking if I was alright, but I ignored her and rushed into the living room.

Damnit—he wasn't there. I dashed into the kitchen, and there I found my brother.

"Sora!" I shouted, darting over to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said. His eyes were wide and scared. "But you will not believe what just happened."

Xion skidded past, catching herself on the corner. "Sora, what's wrong?"

He motioned to a knife next to his foot.

"I was peeling an apple, and then I dropped the knife," he said. "But it bounced off my foot. Repeat, it _bounced off my foot_, and no I'm _not_ kidding."

We stared at him. "_What_?"

"Seriously!" he insisted, picking up the knife. "Watch!"

"Dude, no—!"

He dropped the knife before I could stop him, but just like he'd said, the blade ricocheted off his toe like the digit was made of stainless steel.

And then we were staring at him again, but now in total shock. I was, at least.

"Alright, just what the fuck is going on?" I demanded. "First I teleported to the top of the stairs—not a single fucking word, Sora—then a knife drops on your foot and you're not even hurt, and—"

"And now I'm glowing blue."

I turned around to see Xion. Glowing…blue. What the hell?

"I think I'm going to go with another WTF," Sora deadpanned, staring at our sister incredulously. Then he raised his palm. Which was also glowing blue. "What the shit."

Even I could see a faint blue glow coming off my nose. And then there was a flash like a camera's, and I blinked tears out of my eyes. Now I could hear a faint humming noise coming out of nowhere.

The glow-y…umm…auras had changed. Sora's had lightened to the same sky-blue of his eyes, Xion's had turned cobalt just like _her_ eyes, and mine was lapis, just like _my_ eyes.

"We're freaks," I muttered under my breath.

"Pretty," Sora remarked, inspecting his arms. His sky-blue aura had solidified, like it was drawn around him using a highlighter. All of our auras had, in fact.

"Is our house built over uranium deposits?" I said sarcastically.

"The glow's green in the comic books, Roxas," Xion replied.

"Comic books, real life, I don't give a damn," I snarled. My voice was rising. "We're circus freaks, for shit's sake!"

"How do you know other people can see these…glows?" Xion asked. "And stop yelling."

"I'm not yelling!"

"Calm down, man," Sora said, rolling his eyes. "Other people probably won't see these."

How the hell could he be so calm? We're freaks! Glowing blue, teleporting freaks that're going to get tossed into cages and poked and prodded by the goddamned feds!

_Shit_.

Deep breaths, Roxas, deep breaths. No need to freak; be logical. Listen to what they're saying—other people may or may not see the auras, and if they do, they'll probably just think they're high. Somehow. On the other hand, they'll call in CIA and we'll thrown in jail to become lab rats for the rest of our lives—

NO! Calm down, calm down, calm down…

Sora and Xion were staring at me.

"Are you okay, Roxas?" Xion asked.

"No."

"Are you going to freak out again?"

"Depends."

My brother shrugged. "Alright, he's fine," he said. "I propose we name these powers we have."

I began hyperventilating again. Great—first we get these goddamned powers…abilities…_whatever_…and now we're acknowledging them. Could this get any fucking worse?

"All in favor of the teleportation/super speed power as _blitzing_."

Nobody raised their hands.

"Blitzing it is, then," Xion said nonchalantly. "And I guess that the blue glows are _auras_."

ARGH.

"Dude, you look like a ghost," Sora said, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay, Roxas?"

"As okay as a goddamned _circus freak_ can be," I snarled, my left eye twitching slightly. "I'll ask you this—what if we're seen like this?"

"One, you already asked that question," Xion replied. "Two, we don't know if people can see these…auras."

"I'm not willing to risk that."

Xion sighed and rubbed her forehead, obviously trying to think of a way to calm me down. She'd failed before she even began. "Roxas, think about this," she said. "What would you rather be, a coward cooped up in the house forever, or a brave guy who's willing to go on with his life?"

"Cowards don't get dissected."

"Touché," Sora chuckled. "I don't think we're going to get dissected, though. That's kind of illegal."

"How do you know that CIA doesn't ignore the law sometimes?"

"If they do, they go to prison," Xion stated. "It's as simple as that."

It was my turn to sigh in frustration.

"Beyond that, now I'm sure that people won't see these auras," Sora said.

I glared at him. "How so, wise one?"

"You can't see the aura in a mirror."

I whirled around, catching a glimpse of myself in the chrome of the sink. Just me—no bizarre blue glow. The human eye interprets reflected light to collect visual data. If I couldn't see my aura in a mirror, then chances were another person wouldn't be able to see it even if they looked directly at me. (I later found out that normal people couldn't see auras for an entirely different reason.)

"Okay, you win," I muttered, slumping. "Doesn't mean I'm going to accept these powers, though."

"You don't have to," Sora said. "You're always going to have them, like it or not."

"And what if they're gone tomorrow?" I retorted. I instantly felt better when I thought that, and it got even sweeter when my brother began sweating.

"Uhhh…"

"They won't be gone tomorrow."

I looked at Xion, whose face was very solemn. She had on that "I'm sure of it" look she inherited from Mom.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I just _know_."

It's moments like these that I feel like I'm the only reasonable person in my family.

* * *

I started off like this because I didn't want you guys thinking this was some random high school AU. There will be high school chapters, but most of S~H will be action and romance and occasional (dark) humor. Even more setup is due for next chapter, so don't be asking me where the ghosts are.

But really, I hate writing power-discovery chapters. I do.

So how was the first chapter?

And yes, the SDAT player is a reference to _Neon Genesis Evangelion_.


	3. Shade Hunter

Action is forthcoming. Patience, please.

Also, this is going to be the only update for a long time, if I don't get enough time to finish off Jump. Sorry...

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY.

Just this story. Enjoy!

**Xxx XXX xxX**

**Chapter 2: Shade Hunter**

BLEE-BLEE-BLEE-BLEE-BLEE—

My hand snapped out to jab the 'Snooze' button, but instead of smashing my face back into my pillow, I sat up and glanced at my hand.

The aura was still there.

"DAMMIT!" I hissed, hurling my pillow at the floor. I hunched over, drawing my legs to my chest. "It wasn't a dream…"

"Personally, I'm kind of happy about that," a voice said from behind me.

I looked around to see Sora was leaning against my doorframe. "Why?" I grumbled. "We're freaks now. Circus, if you want to get specific."

"I dunno," Sora replied, shrugging. "I mean, I kind of like using these powers."

"Why? Think they'll help you get a date?"

He blitzed to the side of my bed, my pillow in hand, and forced it onto my face. "What was that?" he grinned, although I could hear his teeth grinding.

I just shoved the pillow off of me. Sora was so weak.

"I never wanted these abilities," I mumbled. "I wanted to be a normal kid, I still want to, and I don't need pity or charity."

"I don't think people would pity you for these powers," Sora remarked, falling backwards. As expected, his spiky brown hair halted his body's arcing fall. "I think they'd be jealous."

I sighed and collapsed back onto my pillow. My own spiky blond hair stopped my fall. "That's exactly what I don't want," I grumbled. "I just want to be Roxas Curtiss, _normal_ sixteen-year-old _human_ male."

Sora bounced back to his feet. "C'mon, Roxas," he said. "You're always going to have these powers and you might as well grow to put up with them."

"How do you know if we're going to keep these powers?" I scowled. "For all we know they'll be gone by tomorrow!"

It was as if he didn't hear me. "By the way, I figured out why we don't go splat when we fall," Sora grinned. "We're completely unaffected by kinetic energy!"

I just stared at him.

"Also, can we call the seeing of glow-y thingies 'aura sight'?"

Okay…

"Whatever," I replied, waving a hand.

He pumped his arm. "I have more votes than Xion now," he said.

"Did you spend all night trying to explain how our powers work and whatnot?" I snorted, rolling my eyes. Sora didn't have OCD but he certainly acted it at times. "You need your sleep, you know."

"I'm too hyper to sleep," Sora sang. "Oh, and you're making breakfast today. Good luck!"

You know that crazy tiger from _Winnie the Pooh_? Yeah, Tigger. I swear it looked like Sora literally bounced out of my room.

"Dammit," I said, swinging my legs off my bed. It wasn't that I was a bad cook (all three of us had had to learn how to prepare edible food), but that I found the act of cooking very, very boring, to say the least.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Xion was up too, already dressed and reading the newspaper. I set a plate of pancakes down in front of her, along with the perquisite fork, knife, and sweet, sweet syrup.

"Enjoy," I sighed. "Sorry, but this is all we have right now."

She frowned, running a hand through her jet-black hair. "Remind me to pick up some bacon and eggs after work," she replied, picking up a fork.

Our sister worked as a secretary to keep a roof over her brothers' heads. It was horrible, really; I had taken a look at Xion's grades in college and she had had the potential to rise to a corporate CEO. Unfortunately, our parents' deaths had forced her to drop out in order to take care of us. Sora and I always feel guilty when we remember this.

"Xion, you still have that aura around you," I said, plopping down beside her.

"I know," she replied through a mouthful of food. "So?"

I sighed and rested my head on my hands. "I was kind of hoping that we'd lose these freak abilities after yesterday," I admitted.

My sister set a hand on my shoulder. "We have these powers because we do," she smiled. "We were chosen—I guess. Now I sound like some corny master in some kung fu movie, don't I?"

She giggled. I stared at her, amazed—Xion never did something as girly as giggle. Ever.

"I—I guess," I muttered, still not quite believing my ears.

"Come on," Xion snorted. "I can giggle, right?"

"Yes, but that's not what's on my mind."

"Then what is?"

"Do you—I don't know, do you like these powers?"

Xion's expression morphed from amusement to thoughtfulness. "I accept that we can do this stuff," she said slowly. "I guess I'm neutral about it, if you want my personal opinion—I'm okay with having them."

It was my turn to scowl. "Aren't you afraid that, you know, we'll be labeled circus freaks?" I asked. "Freaking sideshows?"

"Not really," she answered. "I mean, who would believe us if we told them?"

My response was to blitz to the kitchen and return with a plate of my own pancakes.

"Okay, good point," Xion admitted. "If we show them, we'll probably be—"

"Captured by a bunch of feds?" Sora suggested, sitting down on the other side. "Experimented on? Burned to death by a mob?"

"Not what I was looking for," Xion said dryly. "I was thinking more along the lines of shunned."

"And that's exactly why I don't want these powers," I muttered, picking at my plate.

"Aw, c'mon—"

"You're not going to convince him like that, Sora."

Sora leaned his head on his tented fingers. "Roxas," he began earnestly. "We—maybe we can do this stuff because we were chosen to be able to. If so, then whatever purpose we were meant for probably isn't going to give us the luxury of rejecting it."

"If," I echoed. "Or we could be genetic freaks."

"Then wouldn't we have had these powers from birth?"

"Okay, then," I smirked. "So if I reject my purpose, is some gangster going to come in here and 'pop a cap in my ass'?"

"Don't move," a cold voice said from behind me, and something pressed into the back of my head.

I promptly slapped the fork away. "Xion!"

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Sora and I went to Kingdom Key High, a close-by high school that was within walking distance of our house. As usual, we split up just before anybody could see us walking together.

"Alright, Sora, see you after school!" I called, waving.

"See you!"

KKH had a rotating block schedule—that is, we would have odd-numbered classes on one day and even-numbered classes the next. Today I had Japanese 3 first, Pre-Calculus second, and Phys-Ed last.

I jogged towards the languages building and sprinted for Room 307 when I heard the warning bell. I slid through the door just as a loud chime signaled that whoever hadn't made it was now late.

"Just in time as usual, Mr. Curtiss," Mr. Miyazaki said dryly. "Now take a seat."

My 'particular' seat was the back left corner of the block of desks, behind my friend Riku. "Hello, my bishounen friend," I smirked, poking a strand of his long silver hair.

"I hate that nickname," he growled. "Just because I choose to have long hair doesn't mean I'm a—"

"Beatnik?"

I chuckled as he gave me a glare that would've scared off Death himself.

Riku was the ideal man in the eyes of many—oh who am I kidding, _most_—girls at KKH. He was a member of the blitzball team, was absolutely ripped (and supposedly hot), had incredible (for a jock) straight B's, knew more about hair/skin care than most preppies, etc, etc, etc.

"I don't think Riku's peaceful enough to be a beatnik, Roxas," Kairi murmured.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Riku grumbled, burying his head in his arms.

Kairi, his girlfriend, was the ideal girl in the eyes of most guys. She was beautiful, with long auburn hair and violet eyes and a body to drool over, she was brainier than most of the geeks, and she was kind and friendly to everybody AND popular as hell. Fortunately, I'd finally gotten over my crush on her by the middle of eighth grade, after damn near three years of trying, and I still found myself staring at her every so often.

I'd known Kairi since middle school and Riku since freshman year, and both knew of my family's…situation. But what both didn't know was that Sora was my brother, as we had enrolled under separate last names.

"So how many boys' hearts have you broken this week, again?" I asked.

Kairi rolled her eyes. "Just because I get tons of love letters doesn't mean I write back to them, okay?"

"Then why do I keep on finding letters from this guy named Oathkeeper in that mailbox of yours?"

She had actually set a small cardboard box in front of her locker so nobody would try to hack her locker.

"He's determined, I guess…" Kairi replied, leaning back.

I knew who Oathkeeper was, of course, and I knew he'd been in love with Kairi for at least six years.

"Well, good luck to him," I chuckled. "I highly doubt anybody could live up to Riku!"

Silver-hair smirked. "For once Roxas says something intelligent."

"Look who's talking," I retorted. "I still have those videos of you at that one party, you know."

Riku's green eyes popped open with panic. "I was drunk at the time!" he protested. "Of course I'd have said something stupid!"

"I don't know about that…" I said slowly. "I seem to recall that there was no alcohol at your seven-year-old cousin's birthday party…"

"What?" Kairi asked, cocking her head to one side. "What did he say?"

I grinned evilly. "Blackmail time," I sang, whipping out my phone.

"Don't you dare," Riku hissed. A vein was throbbing in his forehead and I could hear the grinding of his teeth. "Put away that phone before I kill you, Curtiss."

"Touchy, touchy," I chuckled. "But you'll have to catch me first, fatty!"

With that I gracefully jumped out of my seat and dashed around the perimeter of the seating area. A roar of rage boomed behind me and Riku, like the ox he was, lumbered after me. He may have been the star defender of the blitzball team, but he couldn't sprint for shit.

"Mr. Curtiss! Mr. Jenova!" Mr. Miyazaki shouted from the front of the room. "Would you kindly not act like children?"

"He started it!" I called, pointing back at Riku even as I slid like a snake between two rows full of girls. "Well, excuse me, my lovelies…"

The only boy in said two rows smacked me over the head as I passed. "Do I look like a girl to you?" he snapped.

"Sorry, couldn't tell the difference!" I replied as I rushed to the front of the room. Several girls giggled at that and began teasing the now visibly irritated boy.

The brunette boy's eyes narrowed. "What was that?" he murmured, standing up.

"I said, I couldn't tell the difference!" I smirked, stopping. "What're you gonna do about it, huh?"

He clenched his fists. "Care to say that again to my face?"

Even Riku was staring at us now.

"I already did, idiot," I said. "Hard of hearing?"

The guy sighed and gently rubbed his temples. "Calm down, Noctis, he's just a boy," he murmured. "An _ignorant_, _arrogant_ _whelp_ who doesn't know his place, but a _boy_ nonetheless…"

"I'm sorry, are you insane?" I asked. I knew I was pushing my luck but for some reason I couldn't stop. "I mean, you're talking to—"

'Noctis' flashed across the room and socked me on the jaw, sending me reflexively staggering back.

Was I angry? No, because—HOLY SHIT did he just blitz in front of me?

"How in the hell did you do that?" I asked, wiping my mouth. Why did I not feel pain—oh right I was 'unaffected by kinetic energy'. And yes I know what that means.

"No injury from even a blitz-enhanced blow, hmm?" 'Noctis' said, nodding. "So my suspicions were correct."

"What…?"

"My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum," he stated coldly. He turned for the door. "I came here to tell you of your destiny."

I stared at him wide-eyed. "What in the _hell_ are you talking—"

"Shut up," he said coolly. "As I was saying, Roxas Curtiss—"

I could distantly hear Mr. Miyazaki yelling at the both of us to sit down.

"You are a Shade Hunter."

**Xxx XXX xxX**

I so wanted to add a part where Noctis tells off Mr. Miyazaki, but there was nowhere I could slip it in.

Reviews, please! First reviewer to Chapter 2 gets a basket chock full of chocolate chip cookies!


	4. Namine and Oblivion

Sorry about the long delay; I have summer chemistry classes. *shudder*

Anyway, king of hope, Lovely In'Sanity, here's you guys' belated cookies! *tosses baskets full of cookies*

By the way, Curtiss was a company that designed warplanes for the US during WW2. That's why I chose the siblings' last names to be that.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY.

Just this story. Enjoy!

**Xxx XXX xxX**

**Chapter 3: Namine and Oblivion**

_Shade Hunter._

What the fuck was that?

It was lunch now. Kairi and I had Honors Pre-Cal together, so that meant we usually walked together to the cafeteria.

"You okay?" Kairi asked concernedly. "I know that may be a stupid question, but you're never quite _this_ spacey."

I glared at her out of the corner of my eye. "And what's that supposed to mean!"

She laughed, that tinkling peal of amusement that made every guy in the vicinity, barring yours truly, want to laugh with her.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Never mind," I muttered. "That guy was probably just some random creep…"

"What guy?" she inquired, leaning around to look me in the eye.

"That guy in Chinese class," I replied. "The one who punched me."

"Somebody tried to punch you?" Kairi gasped.

I stared at her in total shock. "You—you don't remember?"

"I guess not," she admitted. "Want to tell me why he punched you?"

"Never mind," I muttered again.

"C'mon, tell me," she pleaded, bouncing up and down in front of me.

"No."

"Please?"

"Kairi, if it didn't happen, it didn't happen. End of story," I growled. Kairi wasn't usually this nosey. "And why do you even want to know?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Hello? You're my friend?"

"Friends need their privacy, too, you know." My tone was deadpanned but teasing nonetheless.

"What happened to good old immature Roxas?"

My jaw tightened. She instantly realized her mistake and started backing away, but it was too late.

"OW-OW-OW-OW-OW—" Kairi yelped as I grabbed her in a headlock and started grinding my knuckles across her scalp. "Okay, okay, uncle! I'm sorry!"

I smirked and released her. If it had been anyone else who'd given her that noogie, Kairi wouldn't have waited for Riku to arrive. She would've pulverized the offending person herself; her fighting abilities weren't too shabby, thanks to a few sparring rounds between me and her.

"You're a horrible best friend," she muttered, gently massaging her clearly aching scalp. "Why do you always have to go for my hair?"

"Because I know that you're the only person more obsessed with hair than Riku," I replied.

Even as I said that, the hairs on the back of my neck prickled as a shadow fell over me.

"Wanna say that again, runt?"

And then it was my turn to suffer a noogie, this time at the hands of an irate Riku. He didn't listen to my cries for mercy, either.

"I'll let the comments about my hair in Chinese pass," he scowled, glaring at me when he finally released me.

"Because I'm too hot?" I responded, grinning cheekily at him even as I rubbed my aching scalp. "Come on, you know you want me…"

"Why, you little—!"

We were at it again, me running through the corridors, weaving and dodging through passersby while laughing my head off. Riku was hot on my heels, screaming for me to face my fate like a man.

"Like a man? Men don't have long hair, dude!"

"Don't piss him off, you moron!" Kairi yelled from behind Riku.

I just laughed and sped up, knowing that my friends couldn't hope to match my speed.

_CRAAAASH!_

I slammed onto the floor with a stinging impact on my behind, but the girl I had accidentally run over was a lot worse for wear. I scrambled to my feet and hurried over to her, gently sitting her up.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked worriedly, shaking her.

Her eyes slowly flickered open. She moaned in pain, reaching up to her noggin. "Oh, my head…"

I winced. "Sorry I crashed into you."

"No, no it's okay," she murmured. She got up; using her hands to support her body as she slowly rose to her feet.

It was at this point that I noted that _damn_ was this girl _hot_.

Her heart-shaped face was framed by long, silky bleached blonde hair that curled over her shoulders and spilled down to her elbows. Two bleary and yet stunning ice-blue irises looked into my own lapis eyes. Full, pale pink lips were just below a long, slim nose.

Oh yeah, and she had all the curves in all the right places. Her turtleneck didn't show any cleavage, but it hugged her figure, making her medium-sized chest, probably a B- or C-cup, seem fuller than Power Girl's enormous bust. Her hips weren't too wide, either, but that only seemed to enhance her lithe silhouette. I will not talk about just how attractive her legs were, because then I'd be stuck here staring and drooling all fucking day.

You know what, _hot _was not what I'd describe this girl as; that would be disrespectful to her. Beautiful was more like it.

The bombshell must have noticed me staring anyways, because she gave me a concerned look. "What's wrong?" she asked. Her voice was a soft, sweet soprano.

Cue the chorus of angels.

"Nothing," I said, shaking myself out of my trance and getting to my feet. "Nothing, I'm fine."

"Okay," she replied, obviously not convinced. She turned and began to walk away.

"Wait!" I called, hurrying towards her. "Can—can I a-ask you…um…what's—what's your name?"

Stuttering and stammering. _Smooth_, Roxas.

She smiled slightly in a way that made my heart jump through my throat. "My name is Naminé," she answered.

"That's a beautiful name," I remarked, smothering the urge to add, _But not as beautiful as you._ "My name's Roxas."

"Roxas," she repeated with another smile. "Well, Roxas, it was nice meeting you."

With that she strode away. I gave her back a smile of my own. "Naminé, huh?"

A wet noise made me turn around to see Riku making kissy-kissy motions while Kairi pretended ogling someone, her mouth open and a small trickle of drool coming out of her mouth.

I just glared at them. "And I thought you two _weren't_ complete perverts."

"Says the one who was checking that girl out," Kairi teased. "Naminé, right? I can get her number for you if you want."

"Just shut up…"

"You sure you don't want it?"

Now I was the one chasing my friends through the halls.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Classes were two hours long; lunch was forty-five minutes. The three of us usually ate near the edge of the concrete, sitting down on the gray tiles and resting our feet on the grass.

"So how was The Bitch today?" Riku inquired after swallowing a bite of his turkey sandwich.

Kairi groaned. "Riku, Mrs. Harris isn't that bad…"

"To you, at least," I said. My lunch was the leftovers of last night's spaghetti. "You're the only person I know with a 100% in her class."

Before Kairi could respond, my attention was drawn away by yelling and laughing.

"Go away, asshole!"

I twisted around to see a group of bullies harassing my brother. Remember how Sora and I split up? Yeah, it was because neither of us were part of the same groups.

It wasn't Sora's looks; both of us had inherited our dad's good looks. It wasn't my brother's physical abilities; he was quite the athlete on a track. No, it was the people he hung out with.

Hayner was a juvenile delinquent, Olette was an aspiring poet, and Pence was an obese, socially awkward boy. Sora defended every one of them when they were bullied, and as such he became an outcast.

I still wonder why he did it.

"Still hanging out with the losers, Mr. Sora?" Seifer sneered. Behind him, Rai grinned his signature clueless grin and Fuu scowled her signature cold scowl.

Seifer Almasy and his two minions or *cough cough* bitches *cough* Rai and Fuu were the absolute biggest jerks at Kingdom Key High. They attacked everyone who couldn't kick their collective arse in an attempt to move up the social ladder.

"I'd take a look at yourself before calling my friends losers, jackass," Sora replied icily. But I noticed that he was looking past Seifer, directly at a certain redheaded girl. Wow, even now my brother focuses on his crush...

"Oh, the porcupine has a temper now, does he?" Seifer chuckled.

"Shut up, Seifer," Hayner growled.

"Just leave us alone!" Olette pleaded.

"I'd do as the lady says," I said, walking up from behind them. Riku and Kairi were right behind me.

Now, I bet you're wondering why, if I actively distance myself from Sora, I'm defending him now. Simple, I have a heart; I may be a jackass at times, but I'm human and I'll defend a person in trouble.

"Piss off, Curtiss," Seifer snarled, before turning back to my brother. "Now, where were we…?"

And then Riku lunged forward and grabbed Seifer in what was a clearly painful headlock. "Apologize to Roxas, Almasy," he said softly.

"Hey—!"

Kairi shoved Rai away. Fuu received a punch from Riku's girlfriend when she tried to interfere, too.

To his credit, Seifer lasted another five seconds before giving in. I was honestly impressed; my record was three seconds. As I've said, Riku was _ripped_.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Seifer rasped, struggling in my friend's iron grip.

"I couldn't hear you…"

Riku chuckled in amusement and tightened his stranglehold on the other guy.

"Alright, SORRY!" Seifer cried, managing to move Riku's forearm a centimeter from his throat. "Now let me go, you big ox!"

One green eye twitched ever so slightly, and the headlock tightened. _Again_.

"Well, it looks like you'll have to apologize to Riku now," I said cheerfully. "Good luck!"

As I walked away, I caught Sora's gaze. We nodded towards each other in recognition before I exited the scene.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

I was headed…I don't know why I was walking towards the gym.

But just as I turned around to rejoin my friends, I heard a cry of fear.

"HEEELLLP!"

Who…? The sound was coming from just around the corner. I rushed around it to see a very familiar blonde girl, with a terrified expression on her face, running towards me.

"Naminé!" I shouted, dashing forwards and catching her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

Her ice-blue eyes were wide and she couldn't speak without a stutter. "Th-th-that!" she yelped, pointing at the thing.

"What the hell is…?"

It was like nothing I'd ever seen. Its head was a curvy block of light grey, and its unnaturally skinny body twisted and contorted every few seconds. Its arms and legs were stubby and even thinner than its torso, and it twitched and moved like liquid lightning. Claws tipped the thing's fingers and toes. Its forehead had a strange cross and upside down heart symbol.

But what really got to me was its mouth. It was huge, too big for a creature of that size, the teeth needlelike and hidden by what appeared to be a zipper. I could see down its maw, down its throat, to see black saliva coalescing in that monstrous pit.

It leaped at us, snarling and slashing the air. I immediately blitzed to the side, protectively hugging Naminé.

"Shit—!"

The thing turned from its failed attack and faced us, grinning maniacally. It pounced.

Naminé screamed again, but I crouched down, shielding her body with my own. That monster would have to tear through me to get at her.

I closed my eyes, knowing that I was probably going to die—

But I never felt its claws raking down the skin of my back. I cautiously opened my eyes to see a shimmering dome at least five feet in radius and composed of silvery-blue energy surrounding me and Naminé. The thing had been apparently been thrown into the gym wall by the field's sudden appearance.

"Holy hell," I murmured, as I got to my feet. "A shield, nice…"

"Roxas?" Naminé asked. She had assumed a crash position, head between her knees, and was only now peeking up at me. "What the hell was that thing?"

"How should I know—HOLY SHIT—!"

I cried out as the thing lunged at me again, even as the shield collapsed. I flung out my hands to protect my face and head—

A plume of dark smoke and a flash of purple static erupted from my hand.

The thing howled in pain, a grating, screeching noise that had the same effect as nails on a blackboard.

I just stared at the object that had materialized in my right hand and had knocked the monster away. It was a long black sword, with silver highlights, with a chain running down the length of the blade. The guard was composed of a pair of bat wings curving around to meet at the pommel of the light grey, segmented handle. There was a large, trapezoidal extension at the tip of the blade that resembled the head of an ax or the teeth of a key.

A single word echoed through my mind. _Oblivion._

Was that what this sword was called? Oblivion?

I interpreted a sudden tingle of energy through my arm at the thought of the name as a 'yes'.

"Damn…" I murmured, looking the weapon up and down.

The thing slowly got to its feet. I noted that it had a large gash on its forearm, and the injury was crisped like a burn.

"_Keyblade_," it hissed in a pained and fearful tone.

"Damn straight," I growled, raising the Oblivion/Keyblade with both hands. I didn't really know how to swordfight, but Riku had once taken a kendo class and he'd showed me a few basic stances and strikes.

I pulled the Oblivion diagonally across my front, the ax-head tip of the weapon angled towards the monster. It snarled and raised its claws in preparation to meet the challenge.

For a moment we just stared at each other, it into my eyes and me into the empty patches of its skin where its eyes should have been.

I charged.

"YAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" I screamed, bringing the sword down in a decapitating slash.

It leaped back, avoiding my blow, and darted forward to counterattack, swiping its claws at my face.

Knowing I was too committed to dodge back, I used what momentum I had left to circle around behind the thing—and slashed.

It screamed in pain as Oblivion's tip carved into its back, leaving a huge, blackened furrow just below where its shoulder blades would be.

I knew it was hurt and I intended to take advantage of that. I raised Oblivion and brought its ax head down onto the thing's head, cleaving its skull in two.

It collapsed with smoke pouring from the massive hole in its head.

"Oh my god," Naminé whispered as she slowly got up from her position on the floor. "What—how—what the hell is going on?"

I had completely forgotten about her. Guilt stabbed through me; what if another of these monsters had appeared and attacked her while she was occupied?

"I don't know," I admitted, making to leave. "But let's go. I don't want to be around that thing anymore."

But something rooted my feet to the floor, and then began forcing my legs to walk towards the defeated monster.

Naminé blinked in surprise. "Roxas…?" she asked, reaching for my hand.

I gently moved her hand away, and I spoke. It was my voice, and yet it was many others'; it was toneless, and yet had many pitches—the voice of ages past and ages to come.

Wait, _what_?

"So ends your long nightmare, shade. May you find the peace you never had here in the world beyond."

And then the monster's face relaxed, if that were possible, and it began disintegrating into the air, its dust dissolving as well.

I knew Naminé was staring at me in shock, but I couldn't blame her. I was in shock myself. How had I said that, and why? What was that voice that came out of my mouth?

"I was creeped out before, but this—"

She was cut off by the sound of somebody clapping.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Long chapter, hurray! Keyblades, hurray! Namine, hurray! Yes, that monster was a Dusk Nobody. Yes, I based the benediction off of Assassin's Creed.

And if you flame me for making Namine a damsel in distress, you're going to regret ever opening your mouth later on.

So how'd you like it? Review? :3

Credits:

king of hope: You got your wish! Namine's here!

LovelyIn'Sanity: I sincerely hope that Xion's presence won't prevent you from enjoying Shade Hunters.


	5. Trial by Fire

It's been so long since I've updated this… :C

So sorry about the long delay guys, but as my earlier stories, "Jump" and "Lost and Found" took priority. But from now on, I'll do my best to update "Shade Hunters" as much as possible. Chapter 5 will be written and posted ASAP.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING MENTIONED IN THIS STORY.

Just this story. Enjoy!

**Xxx XXX xxX**

**Chapter 4: Trial by Fire**

I turned, the Oblivion still clutched in my hands, to see a tall, thin, redheaded man dressed in a black cloak walking toward me. As he got closer, I could make out his striking green eyes, with strange black teardrop tattoos underneath them.

He had a blood red glow around him.

An aura?

"Not bad for your first Dusk, Hunter!" he called, and then he was right in front of me.

He blitzed.

How the hell—

"How the hell did you—" My face had shock written all over it.

"How did I blitz?" the guy smirked. "I'm a Shade. That's one of my powers and one of yours."

_Shade_. Shade _Hunter_. There had to be some sort of connection.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked.

The redhead nodded. "Shoot."

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

My shout was so loud Naminé yelped and flinched. It was a wonder nobody heard it.

"That's a good question," the guy said. He held out a hand. "But first we introduce ourselves. The name's Axel. A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?"

I didn't take the hand he offered to me. "Yeah, whatever. I'm Roxas."

Axel looked a bit offended that I didn't shake, but he covered it up with a snort. "Roxas, huh?" he muttered. "Coulda sworn you were…never mind."

"Now could you tell me what's going on?" I asked in a tense tone.

His expression turned serious. "As I've said, I'm a Shade," he said coolly. "The spirit of a deceased person who refuses to leave this world for Beyond."

I laughed. "Bullshit," I smirked. "So you're saying you're a ghost?"

"Pretty much," he said, shrugging. "And you're a Hunter—a human equipped with Shade powers assigned to terminate Shades with those Keyblades of yours, because _apparently_ our existence interferes with the _natural order_."

I took a step back and gripped Oblivion a little tighter when I heard that.

"Basically, you're my mortal enemy and vice versa."

Alarm bells rang in my head and I ducked just in time to avoid Axel's first punch, but he then pirouetted around and slammed a foot into my chin, hurling me into the wall.

"Roxas!" Naminé cried, rushing over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry…" I muttered. "Naminé, stay back. I don't you getting hurt."

She nodded and backed away.

The kick only felt like somebody had tapped my chin and I didn't feel anything from slamming into the wall. Either impact should've snapped my spine. Then I remembered…

"Invulnerability, huh?" Axel said, holding his arms out like a gunslinger. "Cool. This should be fun."

Two spinning rings of fire appeared around his wrists and a pair of spiked chakrams materialized in his hands.

I got up, holding Oblivion in a two-handed grip. If this guy wanted a fight, I'd give him one.

Both of us eyed each other up for a second, searching for weaknesses and openings. I found none, and judging by the disappointed expression on his face, he hadn't either.

I was proven wrong a second later as his chakrams smacked into my shoulder and sent me flying before I could even bring up Oblivion to defend.

"Shit," I hissed as I sprung back on my feet.

Axel smirked. "Too slow, Hunter," he sang, blitzing forward with his chakrams raised.

I swung Oblivion in a scything arc in an attempt to slash off that smart-aleck mouth, but he effortlessly ducked under it and smashed a fist into my side, sending me flying into the wall. Again.

Of course, once again I was unaffected thanks to KE invulnerability, but Axel pivoted on his toes and lashed out with his foot straight at my face. I knocked away the boot with a swing from my Keyblade before blitzing next to Axel.

"Head's up, jackass," I snarled, before slashing at him.

The Shade's chakrams came up to defend, but the force of my attack still sent him stumbling backwards.

"Not bad," Axel grinned. "Using blitzing to attack, I mean."

And then he blitzed forward. I barely got Oblivion up in time to block a punch aimed at my face, but a kick to my knee made my leg buckle. Axel raised a chakram to smash a spike into my head, but I flung out a hand and that strange dome shield from before exploded outwards, hurling him back.

"Finally, somebody who can last more than ten seconds against me," he yawned.

"You're making me think you're all bark and no bite," I retorted.

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

A bolt of fire appeared out of nowhere and slammed into my chest, making me stagger back. I knocked away another fireball like a baseball batter, but the impact left my sword arm feeling like somebody had struck it with a hammer.

Jesus Christ. This guy could control fire?

"Pyrokinesis," Axel declared, conjuring a sphere of orange flame in his hand. "It's hell on wheels against Hunters."

Oh, spare me the puns, jackass.

"Of course, fireballs are only a _scrap_ of my _real_ power," he grinned, closing his hand and instantly snuffing out the fireball. Then he raised his wheels and slammed them into the ground. "Burn, baby, _burn_!"

A roaring wall of flame materialized and surged towards me and Naminé. I immediately tackled her to the ground, using myself as a human shield. Hopefully, that dome shield would appear as well so I wouldn't get incinerated.

It did. The inferno crashed into and washed over us, disintegrating the shield. For a moment the world was smoke, ash, and fire, like something out of a young child's nightmare. I coughed as smoke penetrated my lungs and fire prickled my skin. Finally, the flames and smoke disintegrated into disjointed strands into nothing.

How in hell had nobody had seen our battle yet? Furthermore, what was wrong with the fire alarm?

Naminé had soot all over her pale skin, and she was unconscious (probably from carbon monoxide inhalation), but she looked uninjured. I sighed in relief before picking up Oblivion again, standing up and turning around to face an amused-looking Axel.

"You know, with the way you treat her, somebody could mistake you for her boyfriend," he said.

I scowled. "Shut up, fire-head," I growled.

And then I heard a familiar voice. "Roxas!"

"Sora!" I called, whirling around to see my brother's cerulean glow. Then he blitzed towards us, appearing at my side.

"Dude, what the hell's going on?" Sora snapped. He tilted his chin towards Axel. "And who the hell is he?"

"I'll explain later," I replied, crouching and holding Oblivion in a two-handed grip. "Right now, I've got to beat this guy."

Axel snorted in derision. "You? Beat me?" he laughed. "Yeah, right."

The spiked wheels he was holding disappeared the way they had materialized—in rings of fire—and Axel shoved his hands into his cloak's pockets. "Spend some time improving, Hunter, and maybe then you'll be a challenge," he said. "Later."

And then he was gone.

"_Now_ would you tell me what the hell just happened?" Sora growled, stepping in front of me.

I sighed, glancing at Oblivion, wishing that the Keyblade—the symbol of my powers—would disappear. To my surprise, it vanished in a plume of smoke.

I opened my mouth to answer Sora, but a soft moan caught my attention. I immediately blitzed to Naminé's side and helped her sit up.

"Are you okay, Naminé?" I asked.

Those dazzling ice blue eyes of hers blinked once, twice. "Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, rubbing her throat. "What—what happened?"

I glanced at Sora. That's when it hit me—she'd seen our powers in action.

Fuck.

"Naminé, whatever you do, you cannot tell anybody you saw this," I said tersely, gently but firmly gripping her shoulders. "Do you understand?"

"I wasn't going to," Naminé replied. Her voice was getting stronger.

"You don't seem too freaked out by us," Sora observed, crossing his arms. "Why?"

"Because you look human to me," she grinned, wiping a bit of soot off her cheek. "Besides, who'd believe me when I say I saw all this happen?"

Whew. One problem solved.

"Let's get you to the nurse," I said, standing up. "You probably breathed in a lot of smoke."

I didn't know how I'd explain where said smoke came from, but right now all I could think of was that Naminé needed help.

"Right," she said, and she got up.

And promptly fell over—or would've, had I not caught her.

"Whoa, careful there," I warned, gently easing her around so that her arm rested on my neck. "I don't want you falling and cracking open your head…"

She giggled. "Okay," she smiled. "I'll attempt to avoid falling, then."

My brother smirked. "Aww, young love…"

"Sora, shut up before I run you through."

**Xxx XXX xxX**

Nobody questioned why Sora was assisting me in supporting Naminé. Actually, I was more surprised that nobody was asking why we were helping Naminé walk to the nurse's office in the first place.

Except for a certain beanie-head.

"Hey Curtiss," Seifer sneered, crossing his arms. "Whatcha doing with that girl?"

"She got hurt and I'm helping her to the nurse's, numbnuts," I replied without looking at him. "What does it look like?"

"I think I can take over from here," Seifer said, sauntering over. Then his face morphed into the ugliest seductive (or so he thought) smile I'd ever seen. "Say, babe, how's about I…_help_ you to the nurse's?"

That was the cheesiest pick-up line I'd ever heard. Ever. Trust me when I say that I've heard my fair share of them directed towards Kairi, and quite a few to me as well.

"No thank you," Naminé said, smiling, before turning to me. "Roxas, I think I can walk now."

"Oh, right…" I swiftly but tenderly moved her arm off my shoulder.

And then Seifer, the stupid bastard, stepped forward and swept Naminé off her feet and into a bridal-style carry position.

"Dude, what the hell?" I demanded. "She can walk, you know!"

Beanie-head smirked. "Well, I'm enough of a gentleman that I wouldn't let such a beautiful girl dirty her feet on concrete."

"Well, are you enough of a gentleman to let a girl walk on her own?" Naminé asked. She looked more than a little annoyed. Or at least I think she did.

"But of course, Miss Stunning," Seifer said in an oily tone. Then he set her down with an excessive amount of touching in inappropriate spots, the pervert. "Would you still like an escort to the nurse's?"

"She already said no, Seifer," I growled, stepping in between them.

"Roxas, I can speak for myself," Naminé said, stepping out from behind me. She turned to address Seifer. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I can make it on my own."

"Of course, my dear," he smirked. "_Au revoir_ for now…"

When he was gone, Naminé closed her eyes and shuddered.

"I know," I advised, reassuringly setting a hand on her shoulder. "The guy's a bastard, but don't let him get to you."

"I feel so violated," she murmured, still shivering. "The way he touched me…ew, ew, no. I _don't_ want to remember that."

"Nobody would," I muttered.

"You got it handled here?" Sora asked, nervously shifting. I couldn't blame him; everybody would assume the worst if he got caught around somebody as attractive as Naminé. "I really have to go. As in to the bathroom."

Okay, never mind what I just said.

"Roxas can manage," Naminé said, shooing Sora away.

My brother nodded gratefully and rushed off.

The nurse's office was located in the main building of the school, on the upper level's right side. Surprisingly, the nurse, Mrs. Heartilly, didn't ask how or why Naminé inhaled smoke, just made her sit down.

"You probably should've just let her stay there and exhale the smoke, Mr. Curtiss," Mrs. Heartilly said dryly. "The human body is very efficient at cleaning itself out."

"Okay," I said, shrugging.

"And what's your name, dear?" the nurse asked, turning towards Naminé.

"Naminé Fleuret," she answered.

Naminé Fleuret. I let the name swirl in my mind like wine in a glass.

Naminé Fleuret. It sounded so exotic and alien yet alluring and dazzling at the same time.

"Such a beautiful name," Mrs. Heartilly smiled. "Do you have foreign ancestry?"

"French and Japanese," Naminé answered. She smiled sheepishly. "That's all I really know of my family tree, actually."

"Good, good…"

Mrs. Heartilly bustled off, muttering something about "leaving the two lovebirds alone". I sent a glare chasing after her. Why did people assume Naminé and I were together?

As if to prove my point, there was an awkward silence after she left.

"So, umm, Naminé," I began. "I've never seen you at Kingdom Key before. Are you a new student?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I was tutored at home until now."

"Oh," I said. I scratched my head uncomfortably. "So…what do you like to do?"

What an awkward and highly clichéd question, what do you like to do? I mentally berated myself.

"I like to draw," Naminé answered. "I can keyboard, too."

I gaped at her when she said that.

"You know how to use a musical keyboard?" I cried.

"Yeah," she grinned. "I like playing rock and metal—Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence—have you ever heard of them?"

Pinch me. _Pinch_. I'm not dreaming, after all.

"My favorite bands," I sighed. "Wow…"

"Mine, too," she said, with another of her dazzling smiles. "So what do you like to do, Roxas?"

"I like to read," I replied. "Sci-fi, mostly. I listen to music on Youtube. It's been a while since I've picked up a guitar, but I think I can still play."

"I don't have the manual dexterity to play a guitar," she confessed with a peal of laughter. "And frankly, I'm much too lazy to try."

I laughed, too. "You could've been describing me when you said 'lazy'. It took my brother forever to convince _me_ to play."

"You have a brother?" Naminé asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's so cool, I'm an only child. Who is he?"

"Sora."

"The same one who came to help you with that Axel guy?"

I felt a pang of guilt. It was basically my fault that Naminé had gotten hurt in my fight with the Shade.

"Yeah," I muttered, casting my eyes to my feet.

"What's wrong?" she said, turning to look me in the eye. She was shorter than me by a couple of inches.

"I let you get hurt," I mumbled. "You could've died in that fight. That guy could've stabbed you or those flames could've incinerated you."

Naminé smiled again. "But I wasn't hurt, because you protected me," she said softly. "That's all that matters. Thank you, Roxas."

Something warm filled my heart when I heard that. I grinned weakly. "Thanks, too. For making me feel better." I sighed and scratched my dirty blond spikes again. "Naminé, why didn't you—why aren't you—I mean—"

"Why am I not afraid of you because of your powers?" she prompted. Her expression became thoughtful. "Well, you don't deserve to be shunned because of things you can do that others can't."

I was stunned. Naminé looked about as mainstream as could be—blonde, blue-eyed, beautiful, and yet she was supporting a freak of nature like me?

"Actually, I'm kind of jealous of you," she admitted, scratching her head. She smiled slightly, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You can do all these amazing things—those Keyblade swords, your invulnerability, that energy shield, that superspeed power—"

"We call it blitzing, actually," I cut in with a small smile of my own.

"See what I mean?" Naminé said. "You even have a title—Hunter, or whatever that Shade guy called you."

She hung her head. "It seems like you're needed for something," she continued. "Like you were chosen to go further than anyone else, to do important things for all humanity."

Her expression turned sad. "I wasn't," she mumbled. "I'm just my mother's daughter, nothing more than simple little Naminé."

She thought so little of herself? Amazing…

Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her silky hair. Judging by her gasp, she was surprised by the hug.

"You're more important than you think," I whispered into her ear. "Even if it's just to one or two people. Don't be so hard on yourself, Naminé."

She was silent for a moment. "If you say so," she whispered back. "If you really mean it…"

"I _do_." Because you mean a lot to _me_, I added silently.

Her smile slowly returned, curving her pale pink lips upwards.

"Thank you, Roxas," she said. "Again."

"Anytime," I grinned.

"And…umm…the hug feels kind of nice…" She blushed. "But…you can let go now."

I instantly jumped back, wringing my hands in embarrassment. Where the hell had I gotten the idea to hug her again?

"S-sorry," I mumbled. I was blushing, too.

And then Mrs. Heartilly came back in. I wonder what she saw—Naminé and I looking away from each other, our faces the color of strawberries. What could _possibly_ be inferred from that?

"Don't worry, Miss Fleuret, Mr. Curtiss," she cooed. "I won't tell a thing."

"We're not together," I growled through clenched teeth.

Naminé had a forced smile on her face. "I just asked Roxas an embarrassing question," she said quickly. But the real story was in her ice blue irises.

The knowing smirk on Mrs. Heartilly's face told me exactly what she thought of Naminé's lie.

"Whatever," the nurse sang, waving a hand.

The bell rang.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now," Naminé said softly.

A pang of something at absolute zero stabbed me through the heart.

"Yeah," I muttered, shoving my hands in my pockets. "See you tomorrow, maybe?"

"Maybe," she echoed.

Neither of us moved.

**Xxx XXX xxX**

I wrote and rewrote this chapter at least four times before I found it satisfactory. BTW, satisfactory doesn't count as good in my book.

Well, some action, some more information, some Namixas fluff. That last is always good, no? ^^

R&R, please! It'll make me write faster and better!

Thank you:

ForceFic: Thanks! And yeah, Xion's awesome. ^^ I'm never going to write a fic with her as an antagonist.

The Silence Will Set Me Free: It was actually going to be Noctis, but I switched it to Axel because you thought of him. Number VIII turned out to be a better choice. Thankies!


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